Magnifique
Commonwealth Brewing Company

 

 

Had on tap. I'm not getting any peaches but I'm loving the rye, oak, whiskey, caramel, and vanilla flavors. Sweet and sticky mouthfeel without being cloying. Like creme brulee in beer form. Very drinkable for an 11.3% beer. Delicious.

 

L: Poured from a tallboy can to a pint glass. Had a medium brown color and a murky, thick, opaque consistency. There was a quarter inch of foamy, off white hear that quickly dissipated. Not a whole lot of lacing here.

S: A very nice aroma of vanilla, malt, peaches, caramel, bourbon, and wood.

T: Tasted of a fair amount of malt (present throughout, though not a huge factor), some bourbon notes (and its accompanying barrel), a good shot of caramel (quite sweet), and a tinge of peaches as well. This is an interesting and very smooth flavor. Not as boozy as expected, but still pretty strong. Tasty stuff.

F: A below average amount of carbonation with a very smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A well done, interesting, and likable beer. Worth a look.

An interesting concept; I can't say I've had another barleywine with peaches before, but I was open to it after trying Revolution's Strawberry Jacket. This isn't quite up to par with that, but it's quite fun in its own right. Plenty of vanilla and oak, with accents of peach, roasted pecan, caramel, and sweet cherries. As it warms, the vanilla does give it the impression of being more candy-sweet than I would prefer, but overall, this is a pretty fun barleywine experiment.